Coffeeneuring Challenge: Winners and Honorable Mentions!

While I still have a couple of Coffeeneuring Rewinds up my sleeve, it’s time to announce the winners.

I couldn’t be more thrilled with the growth of coffeeneuring. In its inaugural year, 12 participants successfully completed the Coffeeneuring Challenge. In only its second edition, that number has grown to 51 coffeeneurs, each of whom visited 7 different coffee shops over a period of 6 weekends.

Of the original 12 coffeeneur champions, six returned to earn their coffeeneuring award a second year. Well done! They are noted with an asterisk (*) in the list below.

Coffeeneuring also experienced a geographic spread. This year marked the first international entries, with people from Canada (Ontario and Alberta), Ireland, and the United Kingdom submitting.

Domestically, new states were introduced to the coffeeneuring mix, with first-ever participation from the states of Arizona, California, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina Utah, and Wisconsin.

Magic Coffeeneuring Map: domestic + part of Canada

Of all states submitting entries, Pennsylvania had the highest level of participation, followed by the District of Columbia (yay!). My graphic shows states as well as countries, but given that countries outside the U.S. had such small participation, I grouped them in with the states. This is not a political statement, only a quick way for you to see where the coffeeneurs reside. As you can see by the chart, Pennsylvania had the highest level of participation (12) followed by D.C. (8), Virginia (also 8), and Portland (6).

Four cities represented just shy of half of the coffeeneurs who participated. Those cities are:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Washington, D.C.

Portland, Oregon

Arlington, Virginia

People coffeeneured in more places than ever before. The magic coffeeneuring maps show a broad view of the various coffeeneuring destinations. They include: the United States (17 states and the District of Columbia); Canada; Ireland; Japan; Norway; and the United Kingdom.

States where people coffeeneured

Canadian provinces where coffeeneuring occurred and one trip to Japan (inset for convenience)

Additional countries where people coffeeneured: Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom. This map photo is an injustice, but my photographer appears to have gone on strike.

More people teamed up. Last year, only one two-person team participated in the Coffeeneuring Challenge. This edition, I identified around ten teams participating. Coffeeneuring can be a fine solitary activity, but I know that I prefer many of my rides and lattes with a side of friendship and good conversation.

I have more information about places visited, and I may dig through it more to find more nuggets to share. For now, though, I’m going with what I’ve gathered so far from all entries. I’d love to scrutinize the information more closely, but things like my j-o-b and my bike riding keep getting in the way.

Drum roll, please. FINALLY, the lists of Coffeeneur Challenge Finishers and Honorable Mentions. In addition to the person’s name, city, and state, I have also included the individual’s blog, if he or she has one and used it for coffeeneuring write-ups.

Huge congratulations to everyone who completed the challenge and to those who attempted it, but fell short of the full shebang.

Coffeeneuring Challenge button, designed by Joe P.

Prizes!

What fun would a contest be without prizes? This year’s finisher’s premium is a two-fer. All individuals who completed the challenge will receive a Coffeeneuring Challenge button designed by coffeeneur conceptualizer and Seattle randonneur Joe Platzner.

Additionally, all finishers will receive a pewter coffee cup pin, for those days when you’re going for a more subtle coffeeneuring look.

Honorable mentions will receive a smaller version of the Coffeeneuring Challenge button.

Pins/buttons can be affixed to your lapel, saddle bags, sweaters, or whatever other article you decide is best to show off your Coffeeneuring Challenge accomplishment.

I will follow up with all the finishers and honorable mentions in the next few days in order that I may send out premiums.

Well done, everyone! It’s been a great couple of coffeeneuring months. Thanks to everybody who participated in and supported the Coffeeneuring Challenge. Coffeeneuring 4 evah!

P.S. If you think your name should be on one of these lists and it isn’t, PLEASE email me. Every coffeeneur who submitted an entry should have received a return email from me. If you did not, then I did not receive your entry.

I am quite proud to be the first one that got you to break out the marker for California. Now I just need to get some more of the San Francisco Randonneurs to join in next year!

Oh, and awesome prizes too! That is extremely generous of you. I already have a place picked out for the coffeeneuring button on the shoulder strap of my Ortlieb messenger backpack. The little coffee pin might be good on my handlebar bag… hmm…

Funny, but I am just as excited about that as I was my first 200K Brevet medal!

Very nice, MG! Thank you for setting this up. You’ve inspired Pittsburgh’s current Soupaneuring – to be followed by Eggneuring (and I’m still advocating Icecreamneuring for next summer!). You totally get credit for initiating all of these fun events. Looking forward to next Fall’s Coffeeneuring – round 3!

Yes, definitely something I need to update in the rules. I did not realize so many people would be coffeeneuring together. It doesn’t make sense for each person to send in an individual entry if all trips were the same.